Enough outrage over Ricky Williams

By Danny Dabiri  |   Monday, May 21, 2007  |  Comments( 25 )

Miami Dolphins
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After his latest drug-testing mishap became national, top-story-caliber news material, Ricky Williams released a statement through his agent Leigh Steinberg.

"I am an honest, God-fearing man who is intensely dedicated to being the best person I can be on and off the football field," Williams said. "There is no need to smear my name or defame my character for the sake of news."

Chiming in on the situation for the first time, Miami Dolphins head coach Cam Cameron lambasted the troubled running back for his latest transgression.

"I will not allow our fans to be let down by people that are not on our roster -- not again. It's my responsibility not to let that happen," Cameron told reporters.

Cameron went on to imply that Williams is in need of saving.

"The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior,'' Cameron said. "Could I have made that statement 15 years ago? Absolutely not. I was trying to save every guy in the game."

Look, we all know that Williams has his problems. It can be argued that through his actions, Williams has opened himself up to large, frequent doses of criticism. But still, when you look at the Williams situation, and you consider the current "character concerns" craze that's sweeping through the NFL, it's hard to understand why the runner is such a lightening rod for condemnation and scorn.

Williams is an elite athlete who, for whatever reason, doesn't have a burning desire to perform at an elite level. Because his values, lifestyle choices and personal philosophies are incongruent with our expectations of what a high-caliber American athlete should be, chastising and ridiculing Williams has become standard practice in newspaper columns, television broadcasts, radio shows and Web pages all across the Internet.

But what about the current cast of NFL malcontents? Aren't there other players out there who deserve the all-out outrage treatment a little bit more than Williams?

Take Cincinnati linebacker A.J. Nicholson, for example. He was just charged with fourth-degree assault after striking his girlfriend in the eye. Last March, he pleaded no contest to burglary/theft charges from his time at Florida State. Ironically, in that case, he stole valuable items from a former college teammate, running back Lorenzo Booker, whom the Dolphins drafted last month. Booker, who was seemingly drafted to replace Williams, was issued the latter's old locker. Whom do you think Booker has more beef with -- the guy who jacked his stuff or an introverted yoga instructor?

Then there's Michael Vick. He supposedly allowed one of his homes to be used as a rendezvous point for fans of illegal dog fighting. It was reported that at least 60 malnourished and injured dogs were removed from the property. As pressure from animal rights groups and Congress comes down, the league will be forced to take a more critical stance on the issue. Can you imagine the hysteria there would be if Williams was implicated in such a scandal?

And what about San Diego Chargers linebacker Shawne Merriman, who was suspended four games for steroids last season? This guy claims he got the wrong boost in his Jamba Juice, and four games later, everything's all good. No worries, man. You just can't be MVP, OK? In the eyes of the media, Barry Bonds is a villain, and Merriman is an entertaining and exciting young player with All-Pro abilities and plenty of promise. Go figure.

No one is disputing the fact that Williams created his own mess. But with so many other low-character individuals currently playing in the NFL, it's time to end the outrage over Williams' actions.

Got a bone to pick with a newspaper columnist, talk show personality or television analyst? E-mail us at mediawatch@realfootball365.com. For more information, visit our Media Watch info page.
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